So when Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng popped up on nearly every single list I read a few months ago, I knew it was a sign that I had to add it to my own list of future reads. It was receiving rave reviews from many people who seem to know about such things.

Page one I was hooked. Not page two or three or by the end of the chapter. But the actual first page. I was drawn into the story with the intriguing plot that Ng wasted no time introducing. Hook, line and sinker.

I will admit that very quickly I was also filled with dread. I already liked the characters by the end of the first chapter. Immediate attachment is problematic. I was about to be pulled through another story hoping, wishing and begging for the conflict to be resolved in a way that would be satisfactory for the characters I so deeply cared for.

The power of literature is unfathomable.

So it began.

The tale is set in Shaker Heights, a perfect suburb of Cleveland. The houses are enormous, the lawns meticulously groomed, the residents living the dream. Such is the home and life of the Richardson family - everything planned out from beginning to end.

And then there is Mia Warren who arrives with her daughter Pearl. They travel the country finding inspirational locations for Mia’s art, never settling in one place for more than one project. But this time it is supposed to be different; Mia promising Pearl they will stay and set roots.

Two families that are opposites in nearly every way cross paths and the result is an inferno of emotion, drastic actions and heart wrenching decisions.

Innovative, intriguing story line. Check.Protagonist I was rooting for. Check.Antagonist who was obviously going to be disastrous but you couldn’t help feel for. Check.

I’ll let you decide for yourself whether the conclusion was deserving of a satisfactory check or not.